In the News

Skills Gap is Only Part of the Reason that Hiring Remains Slow at Many Businesses
Stateline-11/14/16
Employers across the country, from manufacturers in rural Minnesota to hospitals in New York City, are having trouble filling jobs. While many point to a skills gap for slow hiring, that's only one factor. Recent job vacancy surveys from Minnesota and several other states point to a mix of reasons that some jobs are difficult to fill, including location, low wages and undesirable shifts.

Recent Blog Posts

When you're an older worker who is passed over for a job, It might be tempting to blame ageism, over-qualifications or a younger worker willing to work for less pay. But other factors might be at work as well. MinnesotaWorks.net has details.

Did You Know?

Minnesota leads the nation in turkey production, with farmers raising 41 million birds last year, according to the National Turkey Federation. North Carolina was second with 31 million turkeys.

Press Releases

DEED Names Equity Grant Recipients
DEED last week announced equity grants totaling $8.1 million for fiscal year 2017 to organizations that will work to improve economic opportunities for people of color, women, youth, people with disabilities and/or veterans in Minnesota. Review panels – composed of state staff and volunteers from the community – selected funding recipients after reviewing $48.4 million in program proposals from 165 Minnesota organizations.

State Loses 12,000 Jobs in October
Minnesota employers eliminated 12,500 jobs in October, according to seasonally adjusted figures released last week by DEED. Over the past year, Minnesota has gained 31,375 jobs, an increase of 1.1 percent. Employment nationally is up 1.6 percent over the past year. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Minnesota held steady at 4 percent in October. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.9 percent.

Serving Our Customers

Hoping to give people a clearer picture of its mission, State Services for the Blind (SSB)  is sponsoring a slogan contest. SSB wants a slogan that is catchy and short -- preferably six words or less -- but broad enough that people will understand how the office helps Minnesotans. The person who submits the winning slogan will have a choice of prizes: an interview on Radio Talking Book, a $25 gift card from Target or a personalized tactile graphic. Submit ideas to SSBSlogan@gmail.com by Dec. 9.